The Pittsburgh Steelers did not lead in Sunday’s game until the fourth quarter, thanks in part to a Derwin James penalty. The former All-Pro safety spotted Pittsburgh 15 yards due to an unnecessary roughness penalty on the go-ahead drive, but he had some thoughts about that foul after the Steelers’ 20-10 win. He might think differently now, and losing can cloud your judgment, but in that moment, he took issue with it.
“Yeah, of course [it was frustrating]”, James said after the game about his penalty for striking Steelers TE Pat Freiermuth helmet to helmet. “Like I said, I don’t want to keep the drive going. I’m trying to get the guy on the ground. I don’t feel like I hit him in the head or neck, but we’ll look at it”.
Freiermuth caught a 15-yard pass on the play in question, converting on 3rd and 4. Without the extra 15 yards, the Steelers would have been at their own 36 after the play. With the extra yardage provided by James, they moved to the Chargers’ 49.
Replay very clearly and unambiguously shows Derwin James striking Freiermuth in the facemask with the crown of his helmet, and he also launches himself off the ground. Freiermuth was a runner at that point and not a defenseless receiver, but this certainly violates today’s rules.
James said that he did not seek clarification from the officials after they flagged him. “I stopped asking”, he admitted. James was flagged four times for unnecessary roughness last season, and twice earlier in his career. He even earned an ejection in one game in 2022. “I’m not asking them. I’ll look at the film and see if they send me a fine, whatever it is”.
One would like to believe that James will recognize his hit as illegal once he reviews the film. But considering the number of infractions in his history, I’m not sure I’m confident he will. While he is a great safety, he is not immune to play that goes beyond the rules regulating the game.
As for Freiermuth, he seemed to be no worse for wear, which is a relief. The fourth-year veteran has a history of concussions, but he appeared to suffer no issues from this hit. If anything, he might have been glad for Derwin James spotting him an extra 15 yards.
The Steelers proceeded to work their way down the field, ending the drive with a Chris Boswell field goal. That gave them a 13-10 lead, but not without further aid from the Chargers. A Khalil Mack roughing the passer penalty gave them another 15 yards on a third-down play that fell short of the marker. That penalty was more damaging than James’, as it put them in field goal range.
The Steelers had already moved the chains prior to James’ hit. They would have had 4th and 2 at the 41 were it not for Mack. And there is no ambiguity about that one, either. James also committed a facemask penalty in the game, so he’ll definitely hear from FedEx this week.
